Chief Operations Officer of B.T.L., Karen Bevans, steps down from the job

Karen Bevans

Karen Bevans, the Chief Operations Officer of the country’s largest telecommunications provider, Belize Telemedia Limited, has announced her resignation, effective the end of March. All indications are that the news came as a surprise to her colleagues and staff at B.T.L. Bevans has enjoyed long tenure at the company, enlisting in 1989. In 2009, Telemedia was nationalized by the government and Bevans was named Chief Operations Officer in February 2010. Bevans resigned two weeks ago, but the resignation was only discussed when the Board met on Thursday. So why would one of the most highly-paid executives of one of the largest companies in Belize walk away at this point? On the hierarchy at B.T.L., Bevans is positioned just under Executive Chairman, Net Vasquez, and Special Executive, Anwar Barrow. It has been reported that Vasquez intends to step down also at the end of March, which would leave Barrow, the Prime Minister’s son, in the leadership role at the company. There have been allegations of a less than cordial relationship between Barrow and Bevans, but today the C.O.O. dismissed those allegations outright. She told News Five that in January she completed twenty-five years with the company, and had set that as her milestone achievement. She told us that she will now be looking into other business pursuits, and after working in a demanding job for the past quarter-century, she is ready to do her own thing. B.T.L.’s Executive Chairman Net Vasquez today told News Five via phone that they were just as surprised as everybody else. And as to who would succeed Bevans? Vasquez says that eventually an executive of a four-member executive committee will assume the post.

“All I can say is that it came as a surprise to us because she just wrote a letter and said that she wanted to step down. So whatever contract she had, she would like for it to come to an end. But she was very considerate, I would say, because we offered to provide professional advice to the company and things like that. So one day, the committee met with her the following day. And since there was a board meeting scheduled from last month for Thursday, we just took it to the board and the board merely accepted whatever she said in her letter—if that is what she wants, she is probably looking at her future being self-employed.”

Mike Rudon

Nestor ‘Net’ Vasquez

“Sir even though she will be leaving, she has given you a lot of time like you said, and she will be retained as an advisory. Her departure will surely still leave a vacuum. Has the board given any thought as to who will take up that role?”

Via Phone: Nestor ‘Net’ Vasquez

“Yes I like that question because we had. We have beefed up the executive committee which consisted of two directors to four—it now includes Ambrose Tillett and Dr. Collin Young. So for the time being, they will be providing an oversight to the department that was under her portfolio. So we will have enough time to see who will succeed her. So we thought about that. That is what came out.”

Mike Rudon

“Sir so those four persons, just to verify, are Dr. Collin Young, yourself, Anwar Barrow and Ambrose Tillett?”

Via Phone: Nestor ‘Net’ Vasquez

“Yes, four of us. We have had a committee of four from the first time we got in there four years ago. We did it just to take care of this situation and everything should run smoothly because she will still be advising us for the next twelve months after this. Very likely we will try to see who can come out. The executive committee is hands on. I am there every day. Director Barrow is there every day. So that’s already hands on. So we will very likely try to come out someone internally. So there is no problem there.”

As we said, Vasquez will soon be removing himself as Executive Chairman of the company. He will remain as Chairman, but the day to day running of the company will be handled by the Executive Committee. Bevans will be retained by the company for one year as Special Advisor.

Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system.

What this story illustrate, is a person who has gotten to a point of no return, where she realized that she could not be apart of a corrupt system; at the same time it also highlights the height of corruption on the part of DEAN BARROW. Here we have the PM’S SON as the next in charge of one of the most lucrative entity in the jewel, and my question is why….. how did he ( the PM’s son) got elevated to such position @ such a young age. THE TRUTH IS THAT THE PM HAS ENRICHEN HIMSELF, HIS FAMILY AND CLOSE ALLIES ON THE BACKS OF HARD WORKING TAXPAYERS. THIS IS WHY YOU HAVE DENNYS AND EX WIFEY “LOISE,” ALONG WITH OTHERS, AWARDED THESE HIGH PAYING ASSIGNMENTS……….. AT ONE POINT THE PM WAS UNDER THE ILLUSION THAT HE DID NOT HAVE TO EXPLAIN HIMSELF TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC/COUNTRY, BECAUAE HE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS ABOVE EVERYONE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE ADVENT OF FACEBOOK AND TWITTER; WE HAVE A MEDIA THAT HAS RECENTLY DISCOVERVED AND JUST STARTED COMPREHENDING AND REALIZING WHAT IT’S TRUE ROLE AND FUNCTION IS IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, WHICH IS TO HOLD ALL ELECTED OFFICIAL ACCOUTABLE; AND TO SRUTINIZE THIER EVERY MOVE………. AND BECAUSE OF THIS NEWLY FOUND POWER BY SOME IN THE MEDIA, WE AS A COUNTRY WAS ABLE TO ACCERTAIN SOME VITAL INFORMATION THAT THE PM WAS INITIALLY REFUSING TO DIVULGE ABOUT THE STATE OF HIS GOVERNMENT AND THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE LEVEL OF CORRUPTION IN HIS DOMAIN. This is why I urge the media to be DILIGENT IN PUSUING ALL CORRUPTION IN EVERY FAUCET OF GOVERNMENT ; AND TO BE THE LIAISON BETWEEN THE GOB AND THE PEOPLE OF OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, SO THAT THOSE IN POWER REALIZE THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE/ALL(IN OUR BEAUTIFUL JEWEL) AND NOT JUST A FEW….. MEANING THAT THOSE IN IN THE SOUTH i.e. TOLEDO AND STANN CREEK, WILL BE ABLE TO SEE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BENEFIT FROM WHAT THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE GOB COFFERS, AND NOT TO BE TREATED AS CHARITABLE FOES WITH THE MEAGER THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND AND FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WAS RECENTLY ALLOTTED TO THOSE TWO DISTRICTS RESPECTIVELY FOR R MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH WHEN LOOK AT CLOSELY, COMPARING TO WHAT IS BEING SPENT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO CONSTRUCT ONE DECENT HOME.

See way I tell you bout biggot barrow there is no Spanish in any meaningful job in the whole of Belize any gov job higher than drain sweeper is given to a black the prejudice in this gov. Is so overwhelming it makes me want to vomit and then they always midi complain bout pup well one thing I can say about the last pup gov. Every one from every race had a chance to get a good job but with this ya gov. If you no black you no the get no good job. I hope unu Spanish to look and learn when election time come around and on top of that ustedes Latinos tienen que Abrir sus ojos si no un dia se van a levanter siendo esclavos de Los negros.

Karen is being pressured by the PM son as he is aiming at complete control of the company. As for the announcement of blocking of phones such as T-Mobile and AT&T any phone technician worth his salt will tell you they can flash those phones to appear as if they came from the factory. This is mostly a scare tactics in order for the same PM son to bring in Phones for BTL through his cellular company. Possible tax free at that.

Dejavu all over again, Remember how they removed every Officer by any means necessary that senior David Jones by just to make him Commandant of BDF. Now BTL is being manipulated the same way. Karen gone, Net will retire which will left Anwar to ascend as Chairman. What is the difference between a Executive Chairman and a Special Executive? we da cunu munu noh PM….

If we are going to take this corruption sitting down, then we truly had just better lie down and let the government walk all over us, trampling us into the earth, because that is exactly what they are doing. How in the world a non experience, not smart in school young man who is on the board, become the manager of BTL? He only have to be PM son! For us it will not do.